The technical field of this disclosure relates to the general subject of fire-fighting, and more particularly to a reconnaissance apparatus and method for remotely identifying the location, flow rating and water pressure of fire hydrants within a local area.
A fire hydrant, also known colloquially as a fire plug in the United States, provides a means for active fire protection as a source of water. Such apparatus are provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters (responders) to tap into the municipal water supply to assist in extinguishing fires. One of the first challenges that responders face when they arrive at the scene of a fire is finding a suitable water source that provides enough water for the type of fire they face. In each situation, responders use standardized formulas to estimate the amount of water needed to suppress a fire. Fire hydrants are commonly color coded to indicate the maximum water flow rate they can provide in gallons per minute (GPM). Hydrant maximum water output varies from 500 GPM or less to over 2500 GPM depending on the supply system and the type of hydrant. In an effort to make it easier for responders to know what a specific hydrant will supply, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends that fire departments and water districts follow a set standard of color-coding. Hydrants using public water supply systems should be painted chrome yellow, and their tops and caps should indicate the available GPM. Recommended code includes: <500 GPM (red), 500-999 GPM (orange), 1000-1499 GPM (green), and ≧1500 GPM (blue). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) further recommends that a hydrant be painted violet for any source that is non-potable. If a hydrant is inoperable it is recommended that it be painted black. Hydrants are also rated in pressure units such as pounds per square inch (PSI). All hydrants are assumed to provide at least 20 PSI. If a given hydrant does not meet NFPA recommendations, the rated pressure should be stenciled on the top of the hydrant and on its caps. They also recommend this for extremely high pressure hydrants which can cause damage to firefighting equipment if precautions are not taken.
Although the locations of fire hydrants are identified on maps, it may be difficult to locate or find a particular hydrant due to darkness, fog, mist, snow or surrounding vegetation. Also, a hydrant may be out of order or actually missing due to recent changes not portrayed on maps. Therefore, there is a need for improving the ability for fire fighters to quickly locate and characterize hydrants in the near vicinity of an existing fire. The presently described apparatus and method of use is an answer to this need providing the ability to locate and identify flow rate and pressure characterization of locally available hydrants quickly prior to arriving on the scene of a fire thereby saving precious moments and potential confusion as to which hydrant(s) to use, especially at night or at other times of low-visibility.
It is known in the prior art to provide a fire hydrant strap-on solar powered device having lamps for signaling an emergency situation through selective colored beams and which may be activated by a responder wirelessly, and where color coding indicates the distance and direction of the hydrant from the transmitter and the hydrant flow rate and other hydrant characteristics. When a responder is approaching a fire it is important to enable fast reconnaissance of the vicinity of the fire. Therefore, it is important to know exactly where all fire hydrants are located relative to the fire and to also know the flow and pressure characteristics of the hydrants. The prior art does not provide a complete solution to this need. The present apparatus and method of operation provides an elegant, novel solution.
Like reference symbols in the drawing figures indicate like elements.